


Perfect Recall

by IllegalCerebral



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Abduction, Case Fic, F/M, Flashbacks, Kidnapping, Memory Related, Slow Burn, mentions of torture, threat of violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-07
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-01-30 21:10:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12661479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllegalCerebral/pseuds/IllegalCerebral
Summary: Lise has the ability to recall everything that has ever happened to her, which mostly feels more like a burden than a gift. For  Luke and the rest of the BAU it makes her the perfect witness to a mysterious abduction.





	1. Chapter 1

“The first 24 hours are critical in an abduction case” Emily kept pace with the striding police Captain, the team following after her “Do we have an ID yet?”

“Not yet” said Captain Fitzpatrick “Hotel is pulling all the guest records and security but the place has been heaving this week. It will take a while to sort through.”

“There’s a neurology conference here right?” Rossi asked.

“Yeah its one of the most prestigious in the world” answered Reid “There’s some really notable speakers.”

“Which may work in our favour” said the Captain.

“How so?” asked Emily.

“We only have one witness who saw the victim being bundled into the car. She’s here for the convention.”

“It’s busy and crowded and she was likely distracted by the convention” said Emily with a frown “How does that help us?”

“There’s something unique about this witness” said the Captain with a wry smile. He gestured to a young woman, huddled on one of the plush chairs. She had copper hair, braided round her head and there was an angry looking man in a suit yelling at one of the uniformed officers near her. Behind him was an older red headed woman, furiously twisting her beaded necklace. The more wildly the man waved his arms the more the young woman shrunk back into her seat.

“Okay” said Emily, skeptically “Alvez and I will talk to her. Tara and JJ can you talk to anyone in the immediate area, see if they heard or saw anything unusual? Rossi and Reid can you talk to the staff and Simmons call in with Garcia and see what you can do with the security footage.”

Everyone nodded and headed off in opposite directions.

* * *

Imagine if you could remember every detail of your life. Not just the big events, the significants ones but everything. Every minute of everyday. Every meal you ate. Every conversation you had. Every joke you heard. Every place you visited. Imagine if you couldn’t forget a thing.

Lise didn’t have to imagine. Her earliest memory was from when she was one year, two months and eleven days old. It was a Wednesday and everything that had ever happened to her from that point onwards she remembered. The good, the bad, the down right painful - all of it was etched into her brain as vivid and as present as when it first happened. 

It sucked.

It wasn’t so much the remembering, it was the constant preoccupation with the memories. The older Lise got, the more there were and the longer she could stay fixated on them, playing them over and over in her mind like a movie on repeat. It was automatic, a reflex, and the negative memories were the ones that stuck the most. Sometimes Lise felt like she lived in the past, almost separate from what her body was doing in the here and now.

Lise could hear Dr. Montgomery arguing with one of the police officers, her mother at his elbow like she always was. This triggered a thought about the first time they had met. Lise had been fifteen and her mother had been so desperate for someone, anyone, to acknowledge her daughter’s brilliance. The thought made Lise’s stomach churn as she remembered the flecked blue carpet under her school shoes, her mother’s whiny voice and Dr. Montgomery’s memory test. So many tests.

“Miss Gillespie?” Captain Fitzpatrick laid a meaty hand on Lise’s shoulder and she jumped.

“Sorry” Lise mumbled, “I was miles away.”

“Don’t apologise, it’s been a rough few hours. These people are from the FBI and they just want to ask you a few questions about what you saw. Is that okay?”

“Of course” Lise shifted to take in the man and woman in front of her. 

“I’m Agent Prentiss and this is my colleague Agent Alvez” the woman said. The man gave a small wave. “You saw a woman get pulled into a car?”

Lise was about to retell her story to the agents when Dr Montgomery came storming over.

“Who the hell are you and what are you doing with my patient?” he bellowed. Lise flinched at the use of the term ‘patient’ but neither of the agents seemed to notice.

“Miss Gillespie is a witness in an abduction. What she saw could help us and every minute is vital.” said Emily patiently.

“I want to help in any way I can” said Lise before Dr Montgomery could get his words out.

“We just need you to tell us everything you remember” said Luke with a gentle smile.

“That will be easy” Erica Gillespie piped up and Lise felt her inside knot. In some ways her mother was worse than Dr Montgomery. “Lise remembers everything.” The two agents looked at each other.

“Um when you say everything-?”

“She remembers everything!” Erica beamed “Since she was just over a year old she’s remembered everything that has ever happened to her.”

Lise felt her face grow hot waiting for the inevitable derision. It didn’t come.

“That’s impressive” said Luke “We have a colleague with an eidetic memory so-”

Dr Montgomery scoffed.

“Please, agent. Hyperthymesia is in an entirely different league to other forms of exceptional memory. For starters it’s a totally non-conscious process and we are only just beginning to understand how minds like Lise’s work. So called photographic memory may seem impressive but-”

“How about you tell us what happened Lise?” said Emily sitting down next to her. 

“Starting when?” Lise asked, “How far back before the abduction do you need me to go?” she added when Emily looked confused.

“Starting from you going outside the hotel” said Emily.

“Which you weren’t supposed to do” huffed Erica. Lise ignored her and took a deep breath.

“It was 9.04pm when I when outside, there were about six or seven people out there. Most of them were smoking so I headed down the street a little bit. It was quieter down there, I turned the corner and saw the woman. This was at about 9.09 now, I can’t be exact because I didn’t check my watch until a few minutes later.”

“How did she seem?” asked Luke.

“Sad” said Lise, she was back on the street now, the scent of car fumes and the sound of traffic enveloping her. Lise closed her eyes. “She was dressed really nicely. A dark green evening dress, really high heels that were black patent and no jewellery except a gold watch. It looked like there were stones in it because they caught the light. That’s what prompted me to check my watch. I had to be back inside by 9.15. A car pulled up at the other end of the street. It was dark - black or blue coloured. The woman fished inside her purse for something and she didn’t notice the car. It just sat there for about two minutes. It was strange. There was no licence plate at the front and the windows were tinted. I checked my watch again and it was 9.11 and I was about to turn and leave when the car started forward and a man jumped out of the back on the right hand side. He was tall and heavy set but his face was covered. The woman screamed when she saw him and tried to to run but he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her in to the car. I shouted and I think he looked at me, right at me. The car reversed back out the other end of the street and I didn’t get a chance to see the plate. They turned right. I ran back to the hotel and told the front desk.”

Lise opened her eyes. Dr Montgomery had clearly gotten bored and wandered off to make a phone call and the other three were staring at her. Luke and Emily looked impressed while her mother looked smug as usual. 

“Thank you Lise” said Emily.

“That was amazing” said Luke.

“That’s nothing!” said Erica, “Name any date in the past thirty years and she can tell you exactly what she did that day, what she wore and what she ate.”

“Mom please!” hissed Lise.

“You shouldn’t be so modest!” said Erica “It’s an amazing gift!”

“They are investigating an abduction!”

To Lise’s eternal gratitude Emily cut in.

“We have to get back to the station” she explained “But we may need to speak to you again. Are you going to be here a while?”

“Dr Montgomery is one of the most prestigious speakers here” boasted Erica “He’s doing a presentation with Lise and then serving on some panels. We’re here all week.”

Only Luke caught Lise’s eye roll and had to suppress a laugh. Emily shot him a look before turning back to Lise.

“We’ll probably be in touch. Thank you again.”

“Are you going to find her?” Lise asked anxiously.

“What you’ve told us is really helpful” said Luke “We’re going to do our best.”

As they left Erica was mumbling something about making sure that any interviews didn’t clash with their hectic schedule. Lise caught Luke glancing back at her, a small smile on his face.

For Lise, there were few benefits to being able to remember everything but that night the scenes of Luke’s smile would hopefully drown out the shouts of the woman in green. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The investigation progresses and Luke offers to reinterview Lise.

“Is it for real this Hyper…” Rossi asked with a frown as the team gathered in the local police station next morning.

“Hyperthemesia? Yes it’s real but very rare. There are only about twelve confirmed cases in the world” explained Reid “It’s also known as HSAM - highly superior autobiographical memory. Whereas Eidetic Memory concerns things a person reads or sees and Mnemonism is the ability, with certain techniques and practice, to recall lists of information, hyperthymesia primarily concerns a person’s individual experiences. Some people are able to recall everything from as young as two weeks old.”

“We’re lucky that Lise was the one that witnessed the abduction” said Luke “Her timings were very specific.”

“And so was her description of the victim” said Emily “Garcia do you have anything?”

“I know who she is and people this is not a pretty story. Buckle up.”

“Her name is Amelia Dawson, she’s twenty-nine and originally from a small town in Vermont. She left home at sixteen and travelled south eventually meeting Louis Friedkin. Friedkin has a long list of priors including battery, assault and numerous firearms possessions and he has been questioned by police in four states for countless violent offences over the past twenty years.” Garcia explained breathlessly.

“I’m guessing nothing stuck?” said Rossi.

“Correct. Friedkin is connected to the Newhold crime family and that seems to be why he’s untouchable. He and Amelia have been together for years, he’s fifteen years older and recently she made a complaint against him because they broke up and Friedkin tried to force his way into her apartment. When police followed up Amelia dropped it and they are seemingly back together.”

“Except now she’s gone missing!” said Luke “So did she try to leave him again?”

“Friedkin has been checked into the hotel for weeks. What’s odd is that the Newhold family owns a different hotel in the city that their associates, including Friedkin usually use” said Garcia “He booked a double room and a single”

“So he and Amelia aren’t there alone” said JJ “Maybe he roped in one of his mob buddies to rough Amelia up, show her what happens if she tries to leave?”

“Why use a hotel that isn’t owned by an associate?” asked Simmons “And why abduct her outside?”

“Reid and Alvez can you check with the hotel staff, try and get a read on Friedkin and Amelia’s movements during their stay” said Prentiss.

“We can talk to Lise Gillespie again, see if their names mean anything to her. She’s been in the hotel for a while so she may have seen something” suggested Luke.

* * *

The rain lashed against the window as Lise lay in bed. It had been another late night last night. The abduction played on her mind like a loop, she couldn’t get the images of the young woman out of her mind. It was always worse with negative memories. Even the small ones seemed to rise to the surface with much less prompting than even the happiest of memories.

It had taken hours to fall asleep. Anthony had wandered back into her mind at some point when she was dreaming and he was still there when she woke up. He had been her first proper boyfriend and for five years he had been her world. It was hard though when you could recall every argument, every night you were left unsatisfied and every slight or careless action. Lise tried to get her mind to turn to happier moments, to walks by the beach and Christmas shopping and lazy Sundays where they didn’t leave their bed. 

A pounding on the door roused her and Lise grudgingly got up to answer.

“Agent Alvez?”

“I’m sorry to disturb you. You weren’t sleeping were you?” Luke looked concerned. Lise felt embarrassed. It was nearly midday and she was standing there still in her pyjamas, her hair an unruly halo of red waves.

“N-no. It was a late night and there are no events I have to be at for another couple of hours so…”

“Sorry I wasn’t judging I was just - um, this is the colleague we told you about by the way, Dr. Spencer Reid.”

Lise blinked, noticing the other man for the first time.

“Eidetic memory right?” she asked.

“That’s me” he smiled and it was similar to Luke’s, soft “Though what you can do is way out of my league.” Lise’s face fell and the two men looked at each other, awkwardly.

“We just need to ask you a few more questions about the abduction” said Luke “Is that okay?”

“Sure” said Lise, “Just let me get dressed and I can meet you in the bar downstairs.”

* * *

It only took ten minutes for Lise to make it back down, hair still damp from her shower. Reid was nowhere to be seen as she approached Luke and she felt oddly pleased it was just going to be the two of them.

“Thanks Lise,” said Luke “We think we’ve identified the woman who was abducted, had you seen her around the hotel before last night?”

“No” said Lise firmly “I didn’t recognise her.”

“That’s okay. Was anyone else on the side street apart from the two of you?”

“No”

“Did anyone walk past?”

“There was a drunk couple just behind me and then at about 9.10 a man with a briefcase passed the road heading away from the hotel.”

“Tell me about him”

“Uh he was a white man, average height and wearing a suit. It was too dark to make out the colour but it was a dark suit and he wore expensive shoes”

“How old would say he was?”

“Oh god, maybe thirties? I didn’t pay a lot of attention and details… small details don’t always come as easy as bigger things”

“Don’t sweat it, you’re doing great. We never would have tracked her down without you”

“But you haven’t found her yet” said Lise sadly “I can’t get her face out of my head. She was terrified.”

“That’s normal” said Luke, putting his hand over hers.

“My whole life is like that. I have no control over what I remember” Lise felt tears prick at her eyes “I can’t stop it. Can you imagine every bad or sad thing that ever happened to you always just being there? None of it goes away.” God this was ridiculous. Lise hastily wiped her eyes and pulled her hand away. “Sorry”

“Don’t be sorry” said Luke “I can’t imagine how difficult that must be”

“Everyone says how I have this amazing gift but if I could get rid of it I would” sighed Lise “I used to spend ages reading about people who got amnesia or lost their ability to create short or long term memories and I would try and imagine what that must feel like.”

“Is it just you and your mother?”

“Yeah, my Dad died when I was seven. Honestly I think she wants Dr Montgomery to make up for that. I think he just wants to be famous.”

“You don’t like him”

“I hate him” whispered Lise. This was the first time she had ever said it out loud and it felt good. “But I have nowhere else to go and my mother doesn’t have anyone other than me.”

“I’m sorry-” Luke looked like he wanted to say more but Reid returned at that very moment. Lise couldn’t help but feel disappointed. 

“They’re getting security logs and everything else about their stay for us now” Reid half whispered to Luke.

“Do you know who she is yet?” Lise asked anxiously. What if this woman had a family who was waiting for her? Or even worse, what if there wasn’t anyone to inform she was missing. Her head began to spin.

“Does the name Amelia Dawson sound familiar?” asked Luke.

“No” Lise shook her head.

“How about Louis Friedkin?”

“Oh! When we were checking in there was a man at the reception desk asking for food to be sent up to a Mr Friedkin!”

“What did he look like?” asked Reid.

“Tall - like you, short, dark hair, blue eyes and an expensive looking suit, really flashy. It was a navy blue with pin stripes and he had a gaudy gold watch on” said Lise.

“Did you hear anything else?” asked Luke.

“No Dr Montgomery was arguing with the other receptionist and I got distracted.” The memory came flooding, Dr Montgomery complaining that the rooms were too small, her mother sighing in despair, people staring at the three of them and the girl on reception looking like she was about to burst into tears. Her face turned into the face of the woman in the green dress - Amelia? Lise was back on the street watching her be bundled into the car.

“Are you okay Lise? You look a little pale,” Luke got up from the other side of the table.

“That poor woman,” Lise mumbled. Luke placed a hand gently on her shoulder and the warmth of his touch made her stomach flip.

“I’m taking you back to your room” said Luke firmly “Reid can you-”

“I’ll wait for the hotel manager here” said Reid, his eyes flicking between the two of them. Luke couldn’t read the expression on his face. 

* * *

The room was cool as they entered, the door to the balcony having been left wide open.

“I can only sleep when it’s cool” Lise explained when she noticed Luke was shivering “I find the heat oppressive.”

“Not me” grinned Luke “When I was in the army I think I was the only guy in my unit who wouldn’t have minded if it was hotter.”

“You were in the army before the FBI?” asked Lise. Looking at him it wasn’t that surprising. Luke looked like he was built for that. The thought made Lise feel warm and she turned her face away slightly.

“Yeah. My Dad was and I guess it was partly a way to feel close to him after he died” the words tumbled out before Luke could stop them. Lise nodded.

“I understand” she said sitting on the bed. Luke hesitated a moment and then sat down beside her “I paint to relax because that’s what my Dad used to do. I mean, I used to paint. We’re so busy with stuff like this I don’t really get a chance anymore.”

“I’m sorry” said Luke.

“It’s okay. I have a sketchpad so I draw a lot” said Lise with a shrug “And the one upside of this things is that even though he died when I was really young I have a lot of memories of him. More than most people would I think.”

“So you really remember being a year old?”

“Oh yeah” said Lise “I had scrambled eggs for breakfast and then my Dad put Fantasia on for me to watch while he painted in his studio. It was a commission he was doing. He had photos he was working from plastered all over the walls. When the movie was over I made him rewind and play it from the beginning.”

“That sounds nice” said Luke softly. 

“Yeah, its a shame that the negative memories come more easily” said Lise, sadly. Luke looked at her guiltily. Did everything prompt such a response?

“Could I see some of your drawings?” he asked, hoping the distraction would lift her mood. Lise blushed but nodded. Out of the night stand she pulled a thick sketch pad, hesitating slightly before handing it over. 

Luke handled it gently, slowly turning over the pages and taking in every line. Portraits were clearly Lise’s speciality though there were a few still life sketches. There were pictures of her mother, a man he assumed was her father and then quick little drawings of people on the bus or in line at the coffee shop. Finally there were loose sheets of paper covered with sketches of a young, fair-haired man. There seemed to be more of him that anyone else - sketches of him sitting, standing, even a couple of him lying in bed, the sheets in disarray. 

“I meant to get rid of them when we broke up but I guess I could never bring myself to,”Lise mumbled, snatching the sketchbook back. Lise stared down at the sketches, glad that Luke hadn’t reached the final, most intimate ones.

“Ex-boyfriend?”

“Yeah…he had issues with my condition?”

“How so?” asked Luke with a frown.

“Imagine being with someone who can remember everything you ever said to them and can recite it back to you - usually in the middle of an argument” Lise said quietly “Or imagine being with someone who doesn’t move for an entire day because they remember something that made them sad when they were little and once the memory comes to the forefront they can’t get it to go away.”

“Imagine being with someone who could remember every detail of all your days together, even the smallest ones that usually get looked over” countered Luke “Imagine being with someone who remembered every cheesy pick up line and still chose them. No offence but your ex is a moron.”

Lise didn’t say anything just looked from the sketches in her hands to Luke’s face. He was earnest and completely free from deception. A heavy silence hung in the air as they looked at each other, the tension being cut by the sudden buzzing from Luke’s phone.

Lise shoved the drawings back in the drawer and tried not to eavesdrop on the conversation.

“Uh huh…no it’s all fine now… thanks JJ, I’ll see you downstairs”

“Duty calls” Lise smiled at him as he hung up.

“The rest of the team has arrived” said Luke “I’m sorry, I’ve gotta go.”

“If you need anything else you know where I am” said Lise.

“I do” Luke smiled at her but it was guarded.

* * *

Reid, now accompanied by JJ met Luke in the foyer. 

“What’s up?” asked Luke.

“Tara, Matt and Rossi are with CSU going over Friedkin and Amelia’s room. Prentiss has Garcia going through every aspect of Friedkin’s life for the past month to work out what was going on with him” said JJ.

“Everything okay with Lise?” asked Reid.

“Yeah” said Luke “I think the questions triggered a reaction what happened the other night. She’s fine now.”

“She seems pretty fond of you” said JJ. Luke tried to put on his best incredulous face and failed miserably. “I’m not judging” JJ added softly “It’s just she’s a witness in an ongoing case.”

“I know that!” said Luke “I just took her upstairs and we talked a bit. It’s been hard on her. That’s all.”

“Like JJ said we’re not judging” added Reid quickly.

“Plus as long as you don’t make out with her in a pool while a paparazzo snaps away you’re doing fine” said JJ dryly. She fixed Reid with a pointed look and then headed to the security office. Luke looked at Reid in confusion.

“It’s a long story” Reid mumbled before scurrying after her. Luke looked after the two of them bemused but there was a feeling in the back of his head that maybe they had a point.

* * *

Lise stepped out onto the balcony, the rain had finally stopped and the cool wind was refreshing on her skin. Part of her wanted to go back inside and grab her sketchbook, one of the bonuses of her condition meant that she could easily work from memory. Lise sighed. Luke was clearly just doing his job and she was just going to end up in a mess if she inferred anything more. 

Lise turned around to head back inside and flopped down on the bed, closing her eyes. Years ago a doctor had mentioned mediation as a way of clearing her mind enough to sleep. Lise took a deep breath to begin but instead of air she tasted something strong and chemical and a fraction of a second later the feel of a damp cloth being forced over her face and everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lise realises she's in trouble and the Unsub is identified

“Friedkin and Amelia have been here together the whole time” explained Garcia on speaker “The guy with them is a lawyer, Daniel Mulroney of Mulroney, Bird and Whicher a super expensive law firm in the city. These guys don’t get out of bed for anything less than a million dollar case.”

“Why would they have a lawyer with them?” asked Luke “And where are Friedkin and Mulroney now?”

“Hold your horses newbie. The firm wouldn’t help us, client attorney confidentiality and all that” 

“Until Daniel Mulroney turned up dead in an alley across town showing signs of torture and missing his tongue and eyes.” said Prentiss “Fitzpatrick let me know. After that the firm was much more chatty. Turn out Friedkin was planning on turning on the Newhold family in return for Amelia and himself going into witsec”

“Didn’t see that coming” said Rossi.

“Friedkin’s phone has been turned off for around 48 hours, that’s around the same time the ME think the lawyer was killed but almost a day before Amelia was abducted” said Garcia “I’ve set an alert just in case it turns on again”

“Either Friedkin and Amelia skipped town when Mulroney was killed or the UnSub has them too” said Emily.

“How much would Amelia know though?” asked JJ.

“It probably wouldn’t matter” said Luke “They betrayed the family. If Mulroney was tortured into giving up Friedkin and Amelia there could have been someone watching the hotel. Lise mentioned seeing someone outside the alley just before Amelia was taken, it could have been the same person!” A terrible thought struck him and it must have registered on his face for the whole team to see.

“We’ll check on Lise just in case they carried on watching the hotel to check up on the investigation” said Emily “Garcia dig up everything you can about the Newhold family and any property and connections they have nearby. Rossi, Reid and JJ head to the Mulroney crime scene, Tara and Matt see what the law firm can dig up. There is a chance Amelia could still be alive.”

* * *

Luke’s heart was in his mouth as they approached Lise’s room and immediately, upon seeing that the door was slightly ajar, he knew his suspicions were right. Guns raised, he and Emily made their way into the room. The door to the balcony was wide open and the bed was in complete disarray. Other than that there was no sign of a struggle. 

“She told me she sleeps with the door open to keep cool” said Luke, lowering his gun.

“So that explains how he got in but the camera must have picked them up leaving the room” said Emily. As she was calling the security office Luke moved round the side of the bed. Lise had gotten her pencils out and turned to a blank sheet in the sketch book. There were a few rudimentary lines that looked like it was the beginning of a portrait.

“Hey Luke!” said Emily “The camera in the the hall picks up a man carrying out a bundle of sheets to a laundry cart then heading down the hall to the staff corridor. They’re checking the cameras for the back of the building. It matches the description of the guy Lise saw in the alley. Garcia is going to run the image through facial recognition and the local police database.”

“He’s probably one of the Newhold’s thugs” said Luke, shaking his head, “We should have been more careful. 

“We couldn’t have known” said Emily “Uniforms are on their way up to seal the scene. We need to inform her mother.” 

“And that bastard doctor” said Luke, darkly.

* * *

The first thing Lise was aware of was the cold stone under her and the roughness of the floor on her cheek. She was lying on her side, her wrists bound so tightly behind her back her shoulders were aching. The remnants of a metallic taste was in her mouth and there was something covering her eyes. 

Nearby she could hear low voices. One was calm and the other more agitated but her head was still swimming and she couldn’t make out what they were saying. Lise tried to stay as still as possible and focus on everything around her. All she could do was pray that someone would notice she was missing and there would be a trail to follow.

* * *

Erica Gillespie was hysterical and Dr Montgomery was just being belligerent - between them there was barely anything useful that could help find Lise. To her credit at least Erica seemed concerned about her daughter whereas Dr Montgomery seemed to be treating the entire thing as an attack on him. 

“I am a highly respected expert in my field and I am due to give a talk on my newest paper tomorrow - with Lise there to demonstrate my findings! How am I supposed to do that if you don’t know where she is?” bellowed Dr Montgomery.

“Listen pal-” Luke leapt up from where he’d sat next to Erica, a comforting arm around her.

“Our priority is finding Lise and bringing her back safely” Emily cut in, “But to do that we need your help.”

“Lise spends all her time away from us in her room” sobbed Erica “When we aren’t at panels she’s in there drawing or watching TV. She never went anywhere or did anything apart from seeing that girl get taken!”

“Have you noticed anyone around the hotel who has been hanging around you?” asked Emily “Someone who has turned up repeatedly?”

“I’m a pretty significant presence here” said Dr Montgomery “There are many people seeking me out.” Luke had never had the urge to hit someone as much as he had that moment. He knew he could lay Montgomery out with a single blow but he also knew that wouldn’t help Lise.

“We meant” Luke said through gritted teeth “Someone interested in Lise, specifically after she spoke to us?”

“There was a man on our floor” said Erica in such a quiet voice that they nearly missed it. All eyes swivelled to her and she could raise her face to look at them.

“What happened Erica?” asked Emily gently.

“A man on our floor came up to me after we got back from talking with you the first time. He said he wanted to check if I was okay because I looked so shaken. We went to the bar for some drinks and then…and then we went back to his room.”

Dr Montgomery made a disgusted sound and rolled his eyes. Luke fought the urge to beat the crap out of him and sat down next to Erica, laying a hand on her shoulder.

“I get lonely” she said in an even quieter voice.

“Erica it’s not your fault. Did he ask about Lise?”

“Only in a roundabout way but…oh god! I told him all about her! I’m just so proud, you know, no one can do what she does and after all those questions from the police she wouldn’t talk to me and I felt so overwhelmed and he was such a good listener. I just had to get it all out somehow!” Erica wailed, her entire body shaking.

“It’s very important Erica, do you remember the room number?” asked Emily.

“409, it’s just down the hall” Erica sobbed. Emily nodded to a group of police officers who charged out of the room.

“Did you see him again?” asked Luke.

“Briefly, earlier….” Erica suddenly went pale “He mentioned seeing Lise with you and your partner and asked if we were alright….this is all my fault!”

Luke rubbed her shoulder as she collapsed into a fit of sobs. Whoever these people were they probably guessed that Lise could tell the FBI enough to set them on their trail and after the follow up interview made their move. Lise was too much of a liability for them.

* * *

“I say we see what she knows first” hissed the agitated voice, now more audible since Lise’s head had stopped spinning.

“What for?” asked the calmer voice, “You want to screw her too?”

Lise felt sick with terror.

“No!” agitated snapped “I just don’t feel super comfortable slitting some girl’s throat if she can’t tell the cops anything.”

“Your sudden acquisition of morals is touching” sneered calm “But she can probably ID you at least from the alley and who knows what else she can tell the cops. They already found Mulroney’s body, it won’t be long before they’re on to us.”

“So what’s the plan then?” hissed agitated “We can’t just keep them here!”

 _Them._  For the first time Lise felt a glimmer of hope.

* * *

“Unsurprisingly the name that our mystery man used to check into the hotel was a fake” Garcia told the team as they gathered round Emily’s phone “But before you despair it did match a known alias of a member of the Newhold family.”

“Which one?” Captain Fitzpatrick joined them after co-ordinating his own men.

“Damian Newhold, 29 and youngest son of the Newhold family. He doesn’t have as long a rap sheet as the rest of his family, he did do some jail time for running an insurance scam about six years ago” said Garcia. Fitzpatrick shook his head.

“Damian has always been the disappointment of the family” he said.

“Dealing with a snitch could be his way of trying to change that” said Rossi.

“He isn’t a criminal mastermind though” said Fitzpatrick “He is in way over his head with this.”

“That might be the best chance Lise has” said Luke.

“Garcia are their any properties in Damian Newhold’s name?” asked Emily.

“Negative Boss Lady.”

“He won’t use any of the Newhold’s known hideouts” said Reid “Not if he wants to do this on his own to prove himself”

“And we know he isn’t working alone. He has at least one person helping him” said JJ.

“Frankie Winters, a cousin from his mother’s side, was a co-defendent in the fraud case” Garcia said slowly, the furious tapping of keys following “And he does have property in his name on the other side of town”

“We need to go” said Luke, already halfway out of the room. 

* * *

The two men were still arguing in the corner and Lise was fairly sure they weren’t paying any attention so subtly as she could she tried to get the blindfold off. It wasn’t tied tight and Lise was able to use the floor to push the blindfold up on one side so her right eye was uncovered. It took a little bit to re-adjust to the light but once she did she could make out racks of wine bottles against the wall and another figure slumped on the floor a short distance from her. A woman in a green dress.

 _She’s alive!_ Lise was flooded with relief that quickly soured when she turned her attention back to the two men arguing. The calm one was clearly starting to get annoyed by his partner.

“What’s the plan Damian?” he snapped “Do you even have a plan?”

“Yes!” Damian snapped back “We kill them and make it look like Friedkin did it and then offed himself because he felt guilty!”

A strangled cry came from Amelia and Lise struggled to stay still, her heart pounding.

“Shut up!” screeched Damian.

“Friedkin has been dead for a day already” said the calm one in a cold voice “When they find these two they’ll know he couldn’t have done it and the cops will go straight to you”

“Fuck! Okay, then we get rid of him so no one ever finds him and they assume he took off after killing them? Does that work for you Frankie?”

“Still a stupid plan but it’s a best we got” said Frankie “How are you gonna do them?”

“M-me?” Damian spluttered.

“Yeah genius. Your idea. You kill them.”

“I need a sec” said Damian and Lise could hear footsteps hurrying up stone stairs followed by another set of footsteps and the slamming of a heavy door.

“Amelia? Amelia my name is Lise. Everything’s going to be okay” Lise whispered once she was sure they were alone. Amelia whimpered in response, it sounded muffled like she was gagged. Lise carried on, trying to sound as soothing as possible. “I saw them take you the other night. The FBI are here. They’re going to find us. Are you hurt?”

Amelia made a muffled nuh-uh sound.

“Good. I’m going to try and find something to cut us free okay? It’s gonna be fine, we’re gonna get out of here.”

Even as the words came out of her mouth Lise wasn’t sure it was the truth.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An escape attempt and a new beginning

The team split up to cover the two possible locations that Frankie Winters and Damian Newhold could be hiding at. Luke sat in the front of the car with Emily driving, JJ and Reid were in the back. The rest of the team were checking out a town house while they took a restaurant that was undergoing renovation. 

“Luke do we need to talk after this?” asked Emily quietly. He shook his head.

“I hope not” he mumbled, staring out of the window.

* * *

 

As the glass bottle smashed into the stone floor, Lise glanced up at the stairs. She guessed that the walls and floor were too thick for them to hear her but she was still terrified. When the door to the cellar didn’t open again Lise shuffled over and scrambled around for the biggest shard of the bottle. She had managed to shake the blindfold off but it was still awkward with her feet tied and her wrists bound behind her back. 

* * *

 

It took a couple of attempts to angle the glass in the right way so she could start to slice at the rope. The glass was wet from the wine and Lise’s wrists ached from being restrained for so long, the glass slipped and sliced into her fingers a couple of times but Lise kept going. Finally the rope began to give slightly. There was a chance she was going to get out of this alive and she was going to take it.

The entire time she kept talking to Amelia, reassuring her everything was going to be okay. It was also to reassure herself.

“I’m nearly free!” she gasped, trying to ignore the stinging of the wine in the cuts “We’re going to get out of here.” Finally she sliced through the last bit of rope and her whole upper body sang in pain as she brought her arms round but she ignored it and set to work on the ropes around her ankles. Lise managed to slice through those in half the time and shakily she got to her feet and lurched over to Amelia.

Amelia was gagged in addition to being blindfolded and tied up. Once the gag was off it revealed a nasty cut lip underneath and a black eye lay under the blindfold.

“They killed Louis” Amelia croaked “They killed my Louis.”

“We’re gonna get out of here” said Lise, desperately hacking at the bonds “I promise, then you can go to the FBI and get those sons of bitches back for killing Louis okay?”

Amelia just stared ahead dazed, not even reacting once Lise had cut all the ropes. Lise’s heart sank. It was up to her to find a way out.

* * *

 

“There’s movement inside” murmured Emily as the SUV pulled up a short way away from the restaurant. Luke immediately went for the door. “Luke, we need to be careful. Call for back up.”

“They could have Lise and Amelia in there right now and they could be doing God knows what to them!” said Luke.

“We aren’t prepared!” said Emily “If we go in all guns blazing then we could escalate the situation and they could get hurt. Luke you know this.”

“Yeah I do but-” Luke struggled to articulate what he was feeling.

“Back up will be here any minute” said Reid reassuringly. Luke nodded but the seconds were being unbearably drawn out.

The four of them stood in silence until a gunshot rang out.

“We need to move!” yelled Luke. Emily nodded and they ran inside, unsure of what they were going to find.

* * *

 

Lise’s mind tried to scrabble together a plan but the events of the past few hours just kept rolling over and over in her mind, freezing her to the spot. The cloth over her face. Luke in her room. The abduction. Amelia’s blank look. The two men talking. Luke looking over her sketch book. It all clashed together and the roaring in her head was unbearable.

Amelia just sat on the stone floor quietly crying. Lise’s heart broke for her, the woman’s world had been completely obliterated. 

_In, 2, 3, 4, hold, 2, out, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6_

Lise repeated the breathing exercises a couple of times, trying to empty her mind and focus on the stone walls or the puddle of wine at her feet, hoping the memories would recede somewhat. The red liquid began to run down the little grooves in the stone, making them look like arteries. Her own blood was thundering in her head. Lise’s eyes scanned over the broken bottle.

It wasn’t really a plan, more a cobbled together idea but right now it was all she had.

“Okay Amelia we’re gonna get out of here okay?” said Lise and she looked for the heaviest bottle on the shelf “We need to get them to come down here and try and take them by surprise.”

“How?” Amelia mumbled, looking at Lise for the first time.

“We’re going to try and pull down one of these racks to make enough noise to get them down here” said Lise “When they do we can duck out of the open door.”

“There’s two of them though!”

“I know but we need to try!” said Lise “We can’t stay here.” 

Amelia looked at her for a long time, despair etched into her face. Finally she gave a little nod and they set to work. The wine racks were old and the wood was soft and decaying so it wasn’t as hard as Lise thought to yank them away from the screws. Once it was loose she and Amelia began pulling it, trying to get it to tip over. Once they worked up enough momentum the entire thing came crashing down and Lise’s teeth rattled in her head. 

There was no way the men upstairs wouldn’t have heard that. Lise hurried over and crouched down by the stairs, Amelia hovering behind her. A few moments later the door flew open and a middle aged man burst through. As he made his way down the stairs Lise straightened up and as hard as she could muster she swung the wine bottle at his knee. The man crumpled and went hurling down the steps.

“Run!” Lise screeched. She grabbed Amelia by the hand and they took the stairs two at at time. 

They emerged into a kitchen that was in a much better state than the wine cellar, plastic sheeting covered the work tops and the smell of new paint hung in the air. Lise was acutely aware that the second man must be around there somewhere so she and Amelia moved as quietly as they could down the long kitchen.

They were a couple of feet from the door when a young man wheeled into their path. He looked dishevelled and wide-eyed and the memory of the abduction flashed into Lise’s mind. The man from the alley.

“Damian?” Amelia choked out “You did this?”

“Shut up” snapped Damian, his eyes flicking between the two women. He pointed the gun straight at Lise. Behind them the other man stumbled into the room.

“You let them go Frankie” Damian accused.

“Fuck you” slurred Frankie. Lise glanced back, there was a nasty gash on Frank’s head from the fall and he was having trouble walking straight.

“Just please let us go” said Lise “We won’t tell anyone I sw-”

“Shut Up!” screeched Damian”Shut up and let me think”

“You killed Louis” said Amelia in an accusatory tone. Lise gripped her hand tighter, willing her not to set Damian off again.

“He was going to the cops!” Damian retorted “No one turns on my family like that.”

“So they sent you to deal with it?” scoffed Amelia “You’re a fuck up Damian. Everyone knows it. No way they send you to deal with this.”

Damian roared and raised the gun and in the same moment Lise pulled Amelia down onto the tile floor, slamming down just as the gun went off.

Everything that happened after that as a blur. Amelia seemed to have regained something and leapt up, throwing her self towards Damian who had frozen in shock. When Lise turned she saw what it was.

Frankie was slowly sinking to the ground, blood bubbling out of his mouth and a patch of red blooming on the front of his shirt. He locked eyes with Lise as he crumpled into a heap, spluttering and coughing. She reached out automatically until a scream grabbed her attention.

Amelia had caught Damian off guard and sent him crashing into a counter. 

“Amelia” Lise said faintly, her voice dazed “Amelia we have to go”

“He killed Louis!”

“We have to go”

“Where is he? What did you do to him? Where is Louis?” Amelia screeched over and over like a woman possessed, Lise’s protests going unheard. It was then that she noticed that the heavy bottle she used to knock Frank over wasn’t in her hand anymore, she’d let go when they had dived to the ground. Amelia must have grabbed it.

“Tell me what you did with him!” Amelia shouted over and over again, the question punctuated by a dull thud followed by Damian’s cries which grew fainter after each question.

There were footsteps outside, someone bursting in.

Lise blinked. It was like her brain was processing everything in the wrong order. There was a spray of blood on the ceiling from the arc of the bottle in Amelia’s hand. There was a spray of blood on her too. Lise’s heart sank and she screwed her eyes shut.

“Tell me! Tell me!”

Damian wasn’t responding anymore, he wasn’t even howling in pain but Amelia kept asking and thud was wet sounding now. 

“FBI! Put it down Amelia!” Lise still didn’t look up. There was the faint sound of scuffling and crying but Lise tried to block it out. She breathed heavily, trying to ignore the smell.

“Lise? Lise, I’ve got you, it’s going to be okay” Luke laid a hand on her shoulder.

“I don’t want to see him.”

“That’s okay you don’t have to” his voice was gentle and comforting “You’re safe now.”

He helped her to her feet and guided her out of the building where she finally opened her eyes. The street was deserted, they were in a run down part of town from the looks of things. Down the road were flashing lights.

“Back up’s here” said Luke “We just need to secure the scene and then I’ll take you back to the hotel okay?”  
  
Lise nodded as she began to cry. Luke pulled her into a hug, his arms wrapped tightly around her and his face buried in her hair. 

“You’re safe” he murmured over and over again. It was true and Lise knew that but she also knew that every detail from the last few hours was going to stay with her and in that sense she wasn’t sure she would ever feel safe again.

* * *

 

“You can’t do this” Dr Montgomery’s shouts were drawing attention from the other guests in the hotel bar now. Normally Lise would have been mortified and cowering by now but if the last few days had taught her anything it was that she was more than able to stand up for herself. 

“Actually I can” said Lise cooly “I am done being your guinea pig.”

“I gave you everything” snarled Dr Montgomery “I helped you when no one else would, I took you around the world, I-”

“You made a fortune off of my condition. You used me to bolster your own reputation. You did nothing to help me, help me cope, help me live with this. All you were interested in was making money and becoming famous and I realised something” said Lise “I realised you need me, I don’t need you.”

Lise rose from her seat and strode out of the bar, head held high but inside she was shaking.

“That was impressive” came a smooth voice. Luke grinned at her and the shakiness subsided somewhat.

“My mother is going to kill me” laughed Lise as they walked side by side back to her room “But it’s the right thing to do. I can’t live my life defined by just one part of me and I can let my self be controlled any longer.”

“What you did just then was brave” said Luke “Maybe even braver than what you did in the restaurant.” Lise gave a small shrug.

“It was necessary” she said “How is Amelia doing?” Luke hesitated.

“Honestly it is going to be a long process. She’s under observation at the moment until they can decide what they’re going to do about Damian’s death.”

Lise winced at the memory but nodded.

“She doesn’t deserve to suffer any more” said Lise. Luke nodded.

They walked a little more in comfortable silence until they reached Lise’s room.

“I have something for you” said Lise as she opened the door “A thank you”

Inside she went to the bedside table and pulled her sketch book out of the drawer. She leafed through it until she found the sheet she had left loose inside.

“Is that me?” Luke beamed as Lise handed the sketch over. She nodded, not trusting her self to string together a coherent answer. “Lise it’s amazing, thank you.”

“I know that it would be unprofessional to stay in contact with a witness” said Lise slowly “But when I’m not a witness anymore I’d like to see you again.”

“I’d like to see you too” said Luke softly, his hand going to her cheek and his thumb brushing her jaw.

“Give me a moment” smiled Lise “I want to make sure I get all the details. I want this to be a clear memory to come back to.” She took in everything, every line, every subtle movement, the emotions sitting heavily in the air, the sound of deep breathing and the smile of the man in front of her.


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two years after her abduction Lise has a new life

Two Years Later

The room was flurry of colour and noise as Lise headed round and helped her students put the finishing touches to their paintings. All the students were teenagers but they came from a wide range of backgrounds. What they all had in common was a need for something in their life to boost their confidence, give them purpose or ground them in much the same way as Lise had needed it.

“These look amazing guys!” exclaimed Lise “If you want to set them on the side so they can dry, I’ll see you all same time next week.”

The kids filed out, saying goodbye one by one. The classes always put Lise in a good mood. She had started working for the charity a year ago when a friend at her new art school told her they were looking for instructors to take a weekly class. Lise was already studying part time so she could go to therapy and it seemed like a good way to use some of her free time.

The other good way to spend her time was hovering outside the classroom, a grin on his face.

“No case today?” Lise asked as Luke slipped inside the room.

“Nope, paperwork all day and then Emily allowed us to slip away early so you get me all to yourself” said Luke, slipping his arms around her waist.

“I’m covered in paint!”

“I really don’t care” he said, kissing her.   
  
It hadn’t been a quick romance. Luke was a professional and Lise had been through a traumatic experience. He was there as a friend first of all, supporting her through her therapy, breaking away from Dr Montgomery and having to renegotiate her relationship with her mother. A boyfriend wasn’t on the cards and Luke wasn’t the type to push something like that with anyone, but especially someone who had been through so much.

So it had started softly, quietly and slowly progressed into something more. Dinners together, movie nights, walks in the park. Luke was there when her nightmares got worse, when Lise had her low days and was stuck reliving events over and over and he was also there on her good days, cheering her on when she felt like she could do anything.

“How about dinner at that new Italian place?” Luke asked, his lips brushing Lise’s.

“That’s sounds nice” Lise smiled “Then a movie at my place? Breakfast tomorrow?”

“Sounds perfect” said Luke “You know I love you right?” he added softly after a pause. He had told her this before and she’d never said it back. Luke didn’t mind, he knew that they had something special and he could wait until Lise was ready to say it back. 

Lise reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck and looking at him intently.

“I do” she said softly “It means so much to me.”

“You’re an easy person to love” Luke said, kissing her fiercely. Lise kissed him back with equal enthusiasm.

“So are you” grinned Lise “And I do, so much.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes” Lise laughed “I love you Luke.”

This time when Luke kissed her he lifted her off the ground. Lise giggled in delight.

“Maybe we should skip dinner and head straight back to yours?”

“Sounds like a plan”


End file.
